West had his place permanently etched into pop culture over the years, but will always be remembered for his earnest and distinct take on the Caped Crusader. To wit, Boy Wonder co-star Burt Ward (who West himself personally approved) offered his remembrance of the actor to Variety, saying:

I am devastated at the loss of one my very dearest friends. Adam and I had a special friendship for more than 50 years. We shared some of the most fun times of our lives together. Our families have deep love and respect for each other. This is a terribly unexpected loss of my lifelong friend. I will forever miss him. There are several fine actors who have portrayed Batman in films. In my eyes, there was only one real Batman that is and always will be Adam West. He was truly the Bright Knight.

Catwoman herself, Julie Newmar also weighed in on the 88-year old star’s loss:

Stellar, exemplar, a king to the end. He was bright, witty and fun to work with. I will miss him in the physical world and savor him always in the world of imagination and creativity. He meant so much to people - A friend said: ‘The father that we wanted.’ That is a great gift, no matter how you live it.